Machine for filling foldable containers



H. J. DOLMAN EI'AL MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS June 1-6, 1959 Filed May 21, 1956 l7 Sheets-Sheet 1 IINVENTOR s H. J. D O L M A N J. I. HAMILTON- J.A.' s. B LL @fM ATTORNEYS June 16, 1959 Filed May 21, 1956 H. J. DOLMAN EI'AL MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 I/NVENTORS H. J. DOL MAN J.I. HAMILTON J.A.$. BALL B M WJXM ATTORNEYS June 16, 1959 H. J. DOLMAN l-rrAL v 2,890,554

MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE com-Mums Filed May 21, 1956 INVEN'IDRI H, v.1. DOL MAN J; I. HAMILTON J. A. 5. BALL.

( BY 7411; A-TTORNEXS 17 Sheets-Sheet 3' June 16, 1959 H, J, DQLMAN ETAL 2,890,554

MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE conmmsas 1 Filed May 21, 1956 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR- H. J. DOLMA'N J. I. HAMILTON J.A. 5. BALL;

BYWM Z44 1/70; Arrozggn- June 1959 H. J. DOLMAN ETAL' 2,890,554

MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS Filed May 21, 1956 K 17 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVE NTOR H. J. DOLMAN Jf'. HAMILTQN -J. A. 5. BALL QYW, ATTORNEY June 16, 1959 I J DQLMAN r 2,890,554

MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS F iled May 21, 1956 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 6 NVENTORS H. J. DOLMAN J. I. HAMILTON J. A. 5. BALL BY WMIWM ATTORN un 16,1959 I H. J. DQLMAN ETAL 2,890,554

MAQHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS Filed May 21, 1956- 17 Sheets-Sheet Fig INVENTORS H. J. DOLMAN J. I. HAMILTON J.A.$. BALL BY WIWJM ATTORNEYJ Jul-1e, 1959 I H. J. DOL'MAN ErAL 2,890,554 I MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS Filed May 21,1956 17 sheeis sheet 8 Fig I I I l I I I I I l .I

I I I I -l l l I I I 'P I I I I I I I INVENTORS H; J. DOLMAN J. I. HAMILTON J. A.=s. BALL GYM, 7410 fa; A Tfokmsxs' 1959 H. J. DQLMAN EI'AL 27,390,554

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V lNVENTORs H. J. DOLMAN J. I. HAMILTQN J.A.S. BALL B Y %ML, WJ/M ATTORNE y;

June 16, 1959 H. JQDOLMAN ETAL' MACHINE FOR 'FILLING FOLDABLE conmmsas 17 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed May 21, 1956 INVENTORS A H. J. DOLMAN o J. I. HAMILTON J.A.$. BALL 8 Y WM, flaw/ ATTORNEY! June 16, "1959 H. J. DOLMAN EI'AL 2,890,554 MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS Filed May 21, 1956 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 11 I A IVENTOR H. J. 00 L MA N J. I. HAMILTON J. A.$. BALL B Y 72 W x KM ATTORNEYS June 9 H. J. DOLMAN ETA L 2,890,554

MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDA'BLE CONTAINERS Filed May 21, 1956 V 17 Sheets-Sheet 12 I INVENTOR H. J. D OLMAN J. A. 5. BALL BY M fivw4 ATTORNEYS" J, HAMILTON June 16, 1959 H. J. DOLMAN ET AL 2,890,554 MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLECONTAINERS Filed May 21, 1956 17 Sheets-Sheet 13 VENTORS H. J. D MAN J. l. HAMILTON J.A.S. BALL BY W. M AT Jime16,1959" H. J. DQLMAN EI'ALI 2,890,554'- MACHINE FOR-FILLING EOLDABLE cormmsas Filed May 21,1956 17 Sheets-Sheet i4 Fig .20.

' INVENTORS H. J. DOLMAN J. HAMILTON h J.A.$. BALI:

B Y W, /M ATTO-RNEXY Filed may 21, 1956 l7 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTORS H. J. DOLMAN J. I. HAMILTON J. A. 5. BALL BYM WJ/M AiTogn/EY;

H. J. DOLMAN EIAL 2,890,554 I June 16, 1959 H.rJ.-DOLM AN ETAL 2,390,554

MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS Filed May 21, 1956 17 Shee ts-Sheet 16 I INVENTORS H. J. DOLMAN- J. l. HAMILTON J. A. 5. BALL BY 7/WL, Wfnw4 wrfoR/vEYs H. J. DOLMAN ETAL 2,890,554 MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS June 16, 1959 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 17 Filed May 2]., 1956 INVENTORS H. J. DOLMAN Jfl. HAMILTON 1 J. A. 5. BALL BY W, 7 444 ATTORNEY:

atent Patented June 16, 1959 MACHINE FOR FILLING FOLDABLE CONTAINERS Henry James Dolman, James Ian Hamilton, and John Arthur Stewart Ball, Bristol, England, assignors to Brecknell Dolman & Rogers Limited, Bristol, England, a British company Application May21, 1956, Serial No. 586,071

18 Claims. ('Cl. 53-126) This invention relates to a machine for closing and sealing foldable containers filled with fiowable substances, especially substances in granulated, powdered, shredded or similar flowable form.

The machine is especially, but not exclusively applicable for performing operations on paper bags after filling with sugar, to effect sealing of the filled bags and, by way of example, this particular application of the invention will be more particularly described.

The main operations contemplated after feeding a bag to bag filling means, consist of: filling the bag; folding over the walls of the bag above the level of the substance delivered thereinto; and adhesively securing the folded portion to the body of the bag.

Other operations are generally necessary, according to the nature of the substance being packed and the kind of bag employed, and in the case of packing sugar in paper bags, some or all the following operations may be performed in a machine according to this invention, namely-settling or compacting the substance delivered into the bag; tucking inwards gussets in opposite side wall portions of the bag along precreased lines; applying pressure at the top front and rear to form firm shoulders on the bagged substance, whilst supporting front and rear bag wall portions to retain the side tucks; trimming off surplus paper adjacent the now-closed mouth of the bag; cross-creasing the front and rear bag wall portions above the formed shoulders; folding upon itself the part of the bag above the cross crease, in one or more stages to form a flap; applying adhesive to the folded over flap; applying pressure to secure fimr adhesion of the folded flap to the body of the bag, and drying the adhesive.

Each of the above mentioned operations has been performed previously in the process of packing a fiowable material, such as sugar, into a paper bag, but the means available for the performance of these operations has been such that, generally speaking, each operation after feeding a bag to a filling unit, and filling the bag, has,

of necessity, been performed while the bag was stationary.

Machines which perform several of the operations listed are known but the movement of the bag through the machine has usually been intermittent, 'with consequent slowing of the overall operational speed.

The present invention is characterised in that it makes provision for all of the above mentioned operations, after bag filling, to be performed while the bag is continuously moving, even during those operations in which action is taken at opposite sides of the bag in the direction of continuous traverse of the bag. As a result the overall operational speed of the process can be very much increased as compared with the highest speeds obtainable hitherto in processes where the bags move intermittently.

The bag feeding and bag filling operations need not form part of the machine provided by the present invention, though, for convenience, ba-g feeding and bag filling units are incorporated in a machine which embodies means for the performance of the remaining operations. In the machine to be hereinafter described the bag filling operation is effected while a bag is held stationary, but thereafter the filled bag moves continuously and substantially uniformly, while the remaining operations are performed. The last operation mentioned, that is, the operation which consists in drying the applied adhesive, is, of necessity, performed at a much slower speed than that at which the bags move during the performance of bag sealing operations, so that whilst these last-mentioned operations are performed on individual filled bags moving at a comparatively high speed, it is necessary for a number of filled and sealed bags to be simultaneously the subjects of the adhesive drying operation.

Briefly the invention provides means for continuously traversing foldable containers filled with a flowab-le solid substance (such as paper bags filled with sugar) along a predetermined path at a substantially uniform speed and means operating synchronously with the moving containers for performing on each container in succession the operations necessary to seal the containers, such as folding over part of the walls of the container above the level of the substance contained therein and adhesively securing the folded portion to the body of the container to produce a sealed package. Provision may be and prefer-ably is also made for the performance of supplementary operations, such as already referred to above.

In a preferred arrangement a continuously moving endless conveyor is employed, arranged, for instance, as a closed oval in plan, so that a substantially continuous horizontal supporting surface is provided for the containers to be sealed. In such a case certain operations may be performed along one side of the oval shaped conveyor, such as feeding bags to filling means and delivering filled bags to the conveyor, whilst operations concerned with the sealing of the filled bags are performed in a row of units on the other side of the oval shaped conveyor.

A machine for sealing bags of sugar to be hereinafter described, by way of example, embodies a number of units possessing per se novel features of construction and operation and these units operating synchronously on successive bags provides also a novel mechanism combination.

The accompanying drawings illustrate diagrammatically, and by way of example, the operations to be performed on a continuously moving bag of sugar and the basic mechanical actions required for the performance of these operations. In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates by a series of diagrams some of the operations performed by the machine to be described,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan .of the machine, showing the relative positions of units for performing the variout operations required,

Figure 3 is a plan View showing carrier units for traversing filled bags through the machine,

Figures 4 and 5 are part sectional elevations on line IV-IV, and line V-V respectively of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a front elevation showing the adjacently disposed units for performing the gusset tucking, shoulder forming and bag creasing and trimming operations,

Figure 7 is a section through the tucker unit on line VII-VII of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is an end view of the bag closing unit, looking in the direction of arrow VIII of Figure 6,

Figure 9 is an end view of tucker unit, looking in the direction of arrow IX, Figure 6,

Figure 10 is an end view of the former unit,

Figure 11 is a sectional plan through the adjacent former and creasing and trimming units,

Figure 12 is a section through the creasing and trim- .ming unit,

Figure 13 is a front elevation showing the adjacently disposed turnover rail, the upper part of the gluing unit, and flap deflector and pressing stations,

Figure 14 is a front view of the gluing unit,

Figure 15 is a part-sectional side view of the gluing unit,

Figure 16 is an enlarged view of parts of the gluing unit,

Figure 17 is a plan on line XVII-XVII, Figure 16,

Figure 18 is a section through the press unit on line XVIII--XV1II of Figure 13,

Figure 19 is a plan view on line XIX--XIX, Figure 18, and

b Figure 20 is a plan view of. tables for supporting filled ags,

'Figure 21 is a plan view of a transfer and feed-in mechanism, with the bag supporting tables removed,

' Figure 22 is a side elevation of the feed-in mechanism, looking in the direction of the arrow A, Figure 21,

Figure 23 is a view of the transfer mechanism operating lever, cam and linkage, looking in the direction of arrow B, Figure 22, and

Figure 24 is a side elevation of a so-called twist mechanism, looking in the direction of arrow C, Figure 23.

Figure 25 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, looking in the direction of arrow D, Figure 23. i

The machine diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2 comprises a horizontal endless conveyor of elongated oval form in plan so that all' parts of theconveyor lie at substantially the same level. This feeding conveyor comprises a plurality of carrier units articulatingly interconnected by pivoted links to form in eifect an endless chain structure."

Each carrier unit 1 (Figures 3, 4 and comprises a sectional holder 2 in opposite ends of which are journalled for free rotation rollers 3 revolving about horizontal axles 4 and adapted to roll along the top edge of a continuous fixed guide rail 5 and upper and lower paired rollers 6, 6A respectively revolving about vertical axles 7 and aligned axles 7A (Figure 5) and adapted to bear upon opposite sides of said guide rail 5 and thus steady the holder 2 as it moves. The guide rail,5 is suitably mounted on the machine frame 200. Movement is imparted to the carrier units 1 through an endless chain 8, the pivot pins of some of the chain links being removed and replaced by pairs of pegs 9 upstanding from slide blocks 10 mounted for, free lateral sliding movement each within a slot 11 in the holder 2 on paired pins 12 transversely spanning said slot. The permitted lateral movement of the slide blocks 10 compensates for the slightvariation in the relative disposition of the chain 8 and holder 2 which takes place when traversing an arcuate path around sprocket 13. The chain 8 is driven continuously by sprocket wheels13 rotatably mounted on machine frame 200 (Figure 2) and suitably driven by known power means (not shown). The gaps between adjacent holders 2 are closed by fence means 14, comprised in part by wide springy blades, mainly to guard against material being packed adhering to the rail 5.

The carrier unit 1 is provided with a pocket 15 open at top andbottom and at the front and constitutedby a normally fixed but detachable back plate 16, an independently adjustable rear wall or jaw 17A and a flap-like jaw 17. which forms the front endof thesprocket and is supported by a pivot 18 mounted on a bracket 19 secured to the holder 2. A tension spring 20, is connectedby a chain 20A toan arcuate anchorage18A secured to pivot 18, and normallyvholds the jaw 17 inthe closed position. Secured to the jaw pivot 18 is a lever 21 which carries a roller 22 adapted atappropriate timesto contact with a fixed cam track (not shown) and effect a swing-open movement of the jaw 17 tovarying extents according to requirements. As long as the'machine is in operationthe chain-linked carrier units circulate uniformly through an endless path under power derived through one or other of the chain sprocket wheels 13 provided at opposite ends of the machine frame 200. This circulatory motion repeatedly brings the carrier units 1 back into line with bag filling means.

Bag filling means of any suitable construction may be employed provided the filling operation performed terminates in depositing a filled bag on a horizontal platform 200A from which it can be displaced into the pocket of a moving carrier unit 1. Accordingly in Figure 2 alone there is given a diagrammatic representation of bag filling means, that is, a bag mazagine 23 and a filler spout 24, the position of a bag 25A after filling being indicated by a chain-dotted rectangle.

Because the time taken, by the longest operation performed on a filledbag may notbe -more than half that occupied in filling a bag, the bag filling operation can be carried at. two or more filler units alternately or simultaneously. If. bag filling takesv place at the two filler units simultaneously, as here supposed, the two filled bags 25A are simultaneously pushed by reciprocatory paddles (not shown) from olf platforms on to which the bags have been delivered from beneath the filler spouts, so as to tran'sferthe bags into the pockets of two moving carrier units. The two filler units are spaced apart at a distance equal'to an odd number ofv carrier unit pitches, for instance, five pitches apart, so that the filled bags transferred from the filler units, which operate at half the machine speed (that is, half the traverse speed of the carrier units), are placed. in alternate carrier unit pockets. Hence the feeding conveyor after passing the second of the filler units has filled bags 25 in each of its successive'carrier units. V

The filled bags 25 are traversed by chain 8 through two settling units for the purpose of compacting the sugar in the bags as much as possible and thus obtain in each bag a substantially constant contents height. Each settling unit conveniently consists of a vibrating endless belt 26 over which the bags move and a travelling guide belt 26A which lies' opposed to the fixed back plate 16 of a carrier pocket 15 travelling past said belt. The settling units may be arranged, as'shown, at opposite ends of one end bend of the conveyor.

The'various units provided by this invention for sealing bags after settling of the contents thereof are conveniently disposed in line on the return side of the conveyor, as indicated in Figure 2.

After contents-settling in units 26 the first operation on the filled bag 25 is that of tucking in the gussets 27, 27A of the" bag (A--Fi gure l), which has been prec'reased to facilitate this operation. The filled bag 25 is slid over a fixed supporting ledge track 28 mounted on machine frame 200 andv comprising a series of la'terally snaced horizontairails (see especially Figure 15) by the carrier unit 1 in whose pocket 15 itislightly gripped between the angle-shaped fixed jaw 17A and the biased flap-like jaws 17, to a tucker unit 29 (see Figuresfi, 7, 8 and 9). One of the gussetted sidesofthebag 25. (i.e. gusset 27) faces the direction of traverse, which is always indicated where possible, by'arrow A. The tucker unit 29 cqmprises frontand rear vertically reciprocating tucker :fingers 30, 31 respectively, of'which the former, that is, the front tucker finger 30, isadapted to be lowered by a parallel linkage device into the'path of the oncoming bag 25. The parallel linkage device cornprises a pair of equal length arms 32secured to parallel pivots 32A mounted on a vertically slidableblockjZB connected bylinks 32C to a lever 32D rockable fon a fixed pivot 32F. and operable by a cam 32F on a rotatable main shaft 201; the front tucker finger 3t) constitutes an extension of a bar 3 0A pivoted to arms 32 by pins 303. The bag is allowedto press against the descending front tucker finger 30 thereby forcing, the front gusset.2 7 .ofthe baginwardsf Simultaneously the rear tucker finger 31 is lowered behind the bag by means of another parallel linkage device comprising a pair of interconnected rotating arms 33 of equal length arranged so that the rear tucker finger 31 overtakes the bag and forces its rear gusset 27A inwards, as diagrammatically represented at A, Figure 1.

The arms 33 are secured to parallel shafts 33A connected through toothed gearing 3313 to a power driven shaft 33C in such manner that both shafts 33A rotate in the same direction, shaft 330 being rotated through bevel gearing 33D from the same main shaft 201 on which front tucker cam 32F is carried; the rear tucker finger 31 constitutes an extension of a bar 31A pivoted to arms 33 by pins 31B.

While the front and rear tucker fingers 30, 31 are inserting the gussets in the moving bag 25 the tendency for the upper parts of the front and rear walls of the bag to close together during the gusset-tucking operation is assisted by a pair of swinging plates 34 having lower edges constituted by freely revolving rollers 35. The swinging plates 34 are moved by means of meshing toothed sectors 36 keyed to a pair of parallel shafts 36A, 36B mounted in brackets 136A, 136B secured to machine frame 200; the plates 34 with associated rollers 35 are carried by arms 36C secured to shafts 36A, 36B and move in unison by reason of pivoted tie rod 36D extending between arms 36E, 36F, also secured to shafts 36A, 36B. A rocking motion is imparted to plates 34 and rollers 35 by cam-operated linkage, synchronously with the reciprocatory movements of the front and rear tucker fingers 30, 31, said linkage comprising a connecting rod 37A pivoted to arm 36E and to a bell crank lever 37B mounted on pivot 37C and cooperating with a cam 37D on shaft 201. This bag closing operation is diagrammatically represented at B, Figure l and the mechanism employed in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9.

The next operation is diagrammatically represented at C, Figure 1, and consists in pressing down the sugar in the bag, whilst maintaining a grip on the closed-together bag walls 38, in order to form square shoulders. The means employed for this operation are two similar former shoes 39 between which the closed-together upper walls 38 of the bag are received and loosely supported. The former shoes 39 are vertically adjustably mounted on the depending limbs of bifurcated yokes 40 (Figure 10) each articulatingly carried by a parallel linkage 41 including pairs of rocker arms through which a vertical reciprocatory motion is imparted to the suspended former shoes 39. This gripping of the bag walls 38 while this pressing or contents-forming operation takes place is effected by means of opposed spring-loaded plungers 42 carried by a pair of parallel carrier bars 43 which are operated at a constant speed, synchronously with the prearranged speed of operation of the machine, with a horizontal rotary motion derived from revolving arms 44 .at opposite ends of the carrier bars. The two arms 44 at each end of the mechanism are pinned to parallel vertical shafts 44A, 44A carrying elements of a gear train 44B adapted to rotate the arms in the same direction, driving motion for one of said shafts (44A) at one end being derived through bevel gearing 44C from a drive shaft 44D rotated from any suitable power source. Bevel gearing, such as 44E and a connecting shaft 44F transmits driving power from shaft 44A at one end of the mechanism to an equivalent shaft at the other end. The carrier bars 43 serve also in the performance of the next operation. The parallel linkage 41 by means of which the former shoes 39 are operated includes also spring connections 45 which allow the yokes 40 to collapse, thereby permitting the rocker arms of the linkage to continue their full swing While the shoes 39 are pressed firmly on the bag and its contents. The spring-loaded plungers 42 are adapted, as the carrier bars 43 advance toward one another, to grip the bag walls 38 for a suitable period of. time, for instance, that equiva lent to 40 each side of the inner dead centre of the revolving arms 44 on which the carrier bars 43 are mounted. During this period the carrier bars 43 move with the bag 25 at approximately the same speed and this ensures that the upper part 38 of the bag is not pulled backwards when the former shoes 39 operate. While the bag is gripped by the plungers 42 on the carrier bars 43, the former shoes 39 descend and shape the bag tightly over the top of the contents of the bag, the former shoes 39 rising from the top of the contents before the gripping plungers 42 release the bag as the carrier bars 43 recede from one another.

While the former unit is operating on one bag, the tucker unit can be operating on the following bag and the next operation after forming, that is, creasing and shearing of the bag top, can take place on the preceding bag. As previously mentioned, the carrier bars 43 on which are mounted the bag gripping plungers 42 for use in the forming operation serve also during the creasing and shearing operation which is diagrammatically represented at D, Figure 1. The creasing is effected by means of opposed male and female creasing blocks 46 mounted on the parallel can-ier bars 43 and thus having an operational period equal to that of the gripping plungers 42 of the former unit. These creasing blocks 46 not only form a crease across the closed-together upper part of the bag but serve also to grip the bag so that the upper part 38 of the bag is not pulled backwards when surplus material is trimmed off at the closed mouth of the bag. The trimming action is performed by the co-operation of a fixed shear blade 47 and a swingable shear blade 48 (see Figure 12) rockably mounted on pivoted lever means 49 to which a swinging motion is imparted by cam-operated means. These cam-operated means comprise a cam 50A mounted on drive shaft 201, a bell crank lever 50B swingable on a pivot 50C carried by a bracket 200A on the main frame 260, said lever 5013 having a follower roller 519D engaging cam 50A, and a length adjustable tie rod 50E pivotallyconnecting the lever 50B to one of a pair of rockers 49A pinned to a common axle 49B in fixed housing 200B, the blade lever means 49 which are mounted by pivots 490 on rockers 49A being biased by spring 49D toward fixed blade 47 as the toe 49E of one rocker 49A swings from beneath abutment roller 2000 on housing 200B.

The trimmed and creased bag is next acted upon by a fixed rail 51 (Figure 13) which progressively turns over the portion of bag material until doubled upon itself to form an upright flap 52; an intermediate and the final stages of this turn-over action are diagrammatically represented at E and F respectively of Figure 1.

The bag 25 is then passed on to a glueing unit where the double-over flap 52 is tilted by a plate 53 into an inclined position (conveniently 45) in order to pick up glue from a conical glue-transfer roller 54 whilst held in contact therewith by a press roller 55 as diagrammatically represented at G, Figure 1. The press roller 55 is so suspended on an axle 45 (Figure 16) as normally to swing toward the glue-transfer roller 54, but is adapted under the influence of cam-operated linkage 57 to be swung away from the glue-transfer roller 54, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 16, to allow suflicient space to the ready acceptance between the glue-transfer roller 55 of the tilted flap 52 of a bag 25, the flap tilting plate 53 mounted on the press roller axle 56 and thus swinging therewith. The glue-transfer roller 54 is supplied with glue from an adjustable nozzle 58 fed under pressure through a valve-controlled pipeline 59 from a pump 60. The press roller 55 is caused to apply pressure on the flap 52 after the leading end thereof has moved over the glue-transfer roller 54 and the pressure is removed before the whole of the flap 52 has moved across the glue-transfer roller 

